A whirlwind of events over the past several years caused Young Buck to be in the position that he’s in today—staring at 18 months in prison on weapon charges, a sentence that he’ll begin August 13.

Sitting on house arrest with a monitoring bracelet strapped around his ankle, Buck recently broke silence and exclusively spoke to XXL about having to turn himself in to begin his prison bid in less than a month.

“There were all the crazy things that happened to me in the last few years leading up to this situation I’m in today,” Buck told XXL. “My mindset moving forward is letting the past be the past. Don’t judge me behind what you think I am or what you thought I did or none of that. Pay attention to Buck because the man that I was yesterday ain’t the man that I am today.”

“I know whatever is at the end of the rainbow…it’s gotta be a pot of gold,” he added.

Buck’s certainly endured a downward spiral during the last several years, starting in 2005, when he accepted felony charges for his alleged stabbing of a man, who sucker-punched Dr. Dre at the 2004 Vibe Awards.

Accepting the charges would come back to bite the former G-Unit rap star five years later in 2010, when a federal raid on his Tennessee mansion for bankruptcy uncovered an old gun. Gun possession charges combined with alleged stabbing and the over $300,000 he owes to the IRS were responsible for Buck getting a three-year sentence, which the judge announced Friday (July 13) that he’ll allow the Cashville MC to serve the two counts concurrently through a year-and-a-half.

Sandwiched between the Federal raid and Friday’s sentence was Buck’s SUV being shot at 11 times in Nashville, Tennessee this past March. Miraculously, Buck walked away unscathed from the incident, but his girlfriend was hit once in the shoulder.

All this being said, it’s been an unbelievable turn of events for the rhyme slinger, who became an instant fan favorite with hits like “Let Me In” and “Shorty Wanna Ride” off his platinum-certified debut album, Straight Outta Cashville in 2004.

“I been put my situation in God’s hands a long time ago,” Buck said.

Buck is spending time with his family and working on music in the days leading up to his incarceration. A free agent, no longer signed to G-Unit, Buck is just looking forward to starting over and finding a new home. Months back, rumors spread of him signing with Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group or his former label home, Cash Money. Buck told XXL that either imprint would be a good look.

"MMG has a real push for what they got going," he said. "I came up with Cash Money, so just to see what they’re doing..."

"But the height of Buck is coming out this penitentiary,” he added.

Check back with XXLMag.com for more on exclusives on Young Buck soon.—Mark Lelinwalla

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